Starstruck: Opposites Attract Book 1, LJ Stark

A hopeful encounter that turns sour, a second-chance that turns into matrimony, a fake relationship that becomes...complicated.  Peter is in awe of Aiden, and then he's disgusted.  Aiden is bored out of his skull, and then he's irate.  Neither man wants anything to do with one another but talent and a whole lot of alcohol keep them together, and if the cheap gold rings on their fingers say anything, it'll be for a lot longer than either ever hoped.  But sometimes an accident is a happy accident and both men get a glimpse into something more, something deeper, something real.  Whether it will last beyond the movie's opening, however, is the question.

Peter is awkward, honest, and very real.  I found him relatable...for most of the book.  His constant sniping at Aiden became old because it didn't really let up.  We got his perspective for most of the book and I was expecting some kind of revelation that all his hate-fueled passion was changing into something more tender but those moments were few and far between.  I did think he truly felt more for Aiden, though.  Because we got more from his thoughts we could see small glimpses into his understanding of Aiden and how he could read him.  Aiden's thoughts, however, were mostly hidden from us.

I think I was more disappointed in Aiden's character than anything else.  We got very little from him in terms of feelings and evolution of character.  What we were given was a sullen, moody, entitled prick so often that I felt my hopes of him growing and softening and becoming honest with Peter dwindling with each passing chapter.  By the end I kind of didn't care if he changed at all and I doubted that his change came from within rather than loneliness.  I just hoped for so much more from him.

The machinations of Aiden's agent in the beginning were great because it meant Peter got the chance he deserved for his career, but as soon as she decided to take the reins for the PR stuff, she became a questionable character.  Her job was at the forefront, yes, but seeing her undermine decisions and ultimate happiness for business was frustrating.  The confessions at the end went a long way to redeeming the story though.  From there to the epilogue was where we could have used more.  Pretty much more of everything soft to compensate for all the hate that was spewed between Peter and Aiden through so much of the story.  Overall, I think the story was good but had more potential than what we were given.

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